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The Momo Shop

It all started as follows. We had a momo shop in our locality. They used to be the best momo sellers in the whole locality. I liked their momo very much. Sincerely they were tastier than momos from any other momo shop.

I used to talk to the shop owners frequently. He said me that he belonged to Tibet. He was always against China and it’s people who disturbed Tibetans a lot.He was very young when he came to India to seek food. His parents died when he left Tibet for the first time. He was a happy man. I could see the satisfaction in his face. But I could feel whenever he says he has no one to look after him in the old age, except for his waiters and employees.

So one fine day it happened to be that the shop was closed. When it opened the next day, I asked what was the matter. The owner said that there was an outbreak of bubonic plague in Tibet and every waiter and worker went back to relocate their families. I felt sad and asked, don’t you have anyone. He replied he’ll be leaving soon to bring back his grandmother.

Then after that, several months the shop was closed down. There was no sign of the Tibetans. I used to think are they all fine, and other things.

Suddenly one day, it was late night. I was returning home and I saw that the shutter of the shop was open. I knew that it is always closed but then how can it be open. And when I went there, Lo! The owner waved and greeted saying his grandmother is fine and all. He also gave me a packet of momos saying I wouldn’t have to pay for it.

I was rather taken aback and then when I left the shop, I felt that it all was an illusion because after coming some distance, I saw that the shutter of the shop was the same as it had never opened with the lights off.

Then I reached home, and after refreshing myself, I opened the packet of momo only to see to my horror that there were momos with rat skin, leeches and some rat bones. I opened the sauce packet to realize it wasn’t sauce but blood. I had no option but to instantly throw it away. I realized that the momo shop was indefinitely closed.

I never went through the road where the momo shop used to exist.It was an absolutely scary moment for me.But then, later I read the news to realize that most people in Tibet had ceased to exist and it did include the shop owner and his whole group. But they came back from the other world, distributing death around.

I hope still now, whenever I go by the road late night, the owner looks at me, from the other world, and gives the same familiar smile.